Town staff doesn’t like town-operated tube shop idea

The Town of Lake Cowichan’s elected officials’ discussions around starting up a town-operated tube business may be going down the tubes.

“Staff was not in favour, and thought that as a town that we were sticking our necks out too far liability-wise,” councillor Bob Day said during the town’s Tuesday, February 8, Public Relations Committee meeting.

Another option, the councillor suggested, would be to rent out a section of Saywell Park, and provide the tube shop operator with a list of guidelines and a policy.

When a business licence comes in, councillor Tim McGonigle said, town staff should be directed to meet with the proprietor.

“If you do that right away when it comes in, we’ll be more proactive and less reactive,” McGongile said.

There was also discussion around the table of an environmental fee tube shop owners would be made to pay.

This discussion around the possibility of a town-operated tube shop has been ongoing since last year.

“If we take the onus away from the tuber and toward the proprietor they’ll be more accountable,” McGonigle said.

As an ongoing item, discussions around the future of Cowichan River tubing will continue during future meetings.